


You're the Piano Man

by WrathoftheStag



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, Christmas in Madison, M/M, Say what?, Taking Steps, Unbeta'd, bitty is being a little shit, but in a funny way, jack and the bittle family, jack plays the piano, oh boy!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:08:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23828869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WrathoftheStag/pseuds/WrathoftheStag
Summary: Jack's talents are hidden and spectacular.  A Christmas party with the Bittle Phelps family lets Jack show a hidden talent.  And Bitty can't wait to share it with the rest of the gang.
Relationships: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann
Comments: 40
Kudos: 243





	You're the Piano Man

**Author's Note:**

> For [bitty-davis-eyes](https://bitty-davis-eyes.tumblr.com/) inspired by [this post](https://bitty-davis-eyes.tumblr.com/post/616198180036591616/birb-ghost-mavenmemnon-captainoftheshipping) that had us both cracking up. Dude! I finally wrote a thing!
> 
> Takes place immediately after _[Christmas in Madison III](https://www.checkpleasecomic.com/comic/4-16-06)_.

“We should probably head back down,” Bitty said with a sigh as he adjusted his shirt. 

Jack and Bitty had been holed up in Bitty’s bedroom for almost half-an-hour while the Bittle Phelps Christmas party continued downstairs. 

“I guess you’re right,” Jack said with a smile. He pressed a kiss to Bitty’s temple. “I don’t want Coach coming up here, finding us together on your bed, and getting mad at me again when he finally likes me.”

Jack got out of bed, and Bitty pulled him down for one more kiss.

“Coach? Lord, honey, he wouldn’t come up here with a ten-foot pole. And if I know my family, Brayden and Brittany will be stomping up here to make sure we aren’t gettin’ 'involved.'”

Jack laughed. He thought it was hilarious how offended Bitty had gotten with Suzanne’s innuendo. Well, they were involved, weren’t they?

Bitty shook his head, then patted Jack’s hand. 

“Come on, Sugar. I don’t need Brittany here touching all my stuff.”

As they walked downstairs, Jack could hear someone playing the spinet piano, which sat in the corner of the living room. And, oh man, they played poorly. 

Just then, Aunt Judy yelled, “He’s been taking lessons! Doesn't he sound great?”

Brayden sat at the piano, trying his darndest, tongue poking out of the side of his mouth as he stared intently at the sheet music.

Bitty groaned and whispered, “I told mama we should finally get rid of that piano.”

“I thought you played?” Jack asked. 

“Me? Heck no. Mama got it when I was nine, hoping I’d take lessons—she thought it was fancy—but it wasn’t for me.”

Brayden pounded out a few strangled notes of _Frosty the Snowman_. 

Bitty chuckled. “Help us all if Brayden’s gonna be providing the entertainment tonight.” 

Jack looked over at Coach, who did not attempt to hide his pained expression.

“I can play something later if you want,” Jack said.

Bitty paused and looked at Jack wide-eyed. “Wait, you play the piano?”

Suzanne happened to walked by right at that moment with a platter full of jalapeño poppers in her hands.

“Jack, honey, you play the piano?” Suzanne shouted, which caused everyone else nearby to turn and look at them.

“Oh, euh, yes. My mother thought it would balance out all the hockey?”

Bitty beamed. “Oh my god, how did I not know this about you?”

“My depths are hidden and spectacular?” Jack chirped.

Suzanne put the tray of jalapeño poppers down and shooed Brayden away from the piano much to his chagrin. 

“Scooch, Bray-bray. Uncle Jack is gonna play,” she said as she pulled his toward the piano. “Come on, Jack. There’s a bunch of songbooks there.”

“Uh, sure, okay,” he said as he quickly turned to look at Bitty.

Bitty, adorable little shit that he could be, instantly smirked and pulled out his phone as he settled onto the couch, apparently ready to watch, and document, the show.

The room was dead silent as everyone looked at Jack. Every single Bittle and Phelps in the room had their eyes on him. Moomaw nodded once, and Jack swallowed dryly. In all his time playing hockey, this was infinitely worse than any face-off he’d ever encountered. 

He sat down and pulled the bench closer to the piano. It scraped the wood floor loudly, like a gun going off in the room. Jack cleared his throat then reached for the holiday songbook that sat in front of him.

Just then, Coach walked up to the piano and put his beer on top of it. He crossed his arms and just stood there.

Jack had just gotten some leeway with Coach, and would hate to think he’d be losing any of that because of a piano, of all things. Did Coach hate the piano? Did he consider it not “manly”—whatever the hell that meant? Oh god. 

Coach looked at Jack square in the eye and said, “You know any Billy Joel?”

_One hour later..._

“Sing us a song, you're the piano maaaaaan! Sing us a song toniiiiight!”

Jack stared at Bitty with a mixture of sheer desperation and a killer goon expression. Bitty, meanwhile, had the biggest shit-eating grin in the world, texting like it was going out of style. Jack’s fingers cramped slightly as Suzanne sat next to him and rocked to and fro while Coach had his arm thrown around Jack—the two creating a most unfortunate Canadian sandwich.

“La la la, di da daaaaaa!”

Aunt Judy toasted Jack then twirled around the room once again.

Daggers. Definitely throwing ocular daggers at that point as Bitty was straight-up cackling, zooming into Jack’s face with his phone. Suzanne turned to look at Jack, face shining brightly from a little too much rosé and absolutely too much Billy Joel. 

“La la, di da da da duuum!” she sang, and Jack quickly offered a tight—very tight—smile as he nodded. Bitty snorted, and Jack turned to look at him again. Bittle was lucky Jack loved him as much as he did. 

“Okay, y’all!” Bitty finally said, trying to catch his breath. He got up from the couch and wiped a tear in his eye. “Let the poor man breathe! Gosh, I can’t take any of y’all anywhere.”

Bitty was met with several boos, and for a second there, Jack felt as though he were back at the haus as the Bittle Phelps clan gave the SMH a rowdy run for their money. Bitty pulled Jack from the bench and handed him a glass of eggnog. 

“Here, I think you deserve this,” he said with a wink that made Jack feel a happy tingle run throughout his body.

“I’ll leave my tip jar out, eh?” Jack said, suddenly feeling lighter again.

Everyone laughed and clapped as he took a quick bow. Coach grinned and gave him a pat on the back.

“Good stuff, son. Good stuff,” he said.

Jack grinned as the two walked outside and sat on the front steps of the house, Bitty still chuckling. 

Jack took a small sip of eggnog. It was way too sweet, but it was cold and at the same time, the rum warmed his belly as it made its way down. _Rocking Around the Christmas Tree_ began to blare from the inside of the house. Just then, Jack noticed his phone, which sat in his back pocket, blew up with text alerts.

 **Shitty** : _Can I just say, I had no idea Christmas was coming so fucking early!_

 **Holster** : _Do you do weddings? What about bar mitzvahs?_

 **Tater** : _Zimmboni! I love Billy Joel! ))) WE DIDN’T START FIRE! ))))_

 **Chowder** : _Jack! You’re a great piano player!_

 **Lardo** : _dude. Dude. DUDE._

“I can’t believe the betrayal,” Jack said as he laughed despite himself.

“I know! I know! Your face! I’m such a stinker, but oh my god, you're so cute,” Bitty said. 

“You’re right. You are a stinker, and you’re so cute,” Jack said as he laughed right along with Bitty.

Just then, Bitty frowned. “Oh my god. Baby, I’m sorry…” 

“What? What is it?”

“I’m awful, Jack,” Bitty said as he looked quite upset. “I was so busy having fun and laughin’; I didn’t even stop to consider all that attention might have made you anxious.”

“Bits, no. It was fine. If I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have.” 

Jack reached out and gently lifted Bitty’s face so he would look at him.

“I trust you enough to say no.”

Bitty smiled. “Thanks, sweetheart.”

Jack frowned. “It's just…”

“What? What is it?”

“ _Crisse_!” he shouted. “I CAN'T stand Billy Joel’s music!” 

Bitty’s eyes grew wide and he threw his head back in laughter. Jack joined him, and after the laughter subsided, Bitty held out his hand.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Bitty said as their fingers intertwined.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Pleased as punch."

Jack’s eyes swept across Bitty’s face, and he couldn’t help but smile. Life with Bitty, all the steps they were going to take together, now and in the future, was going to be an adventure—and Jack could not wait.

“Jack?” Bitty said softly as he looked at their hands. 

“Yeah, bud?”

“Will you do something for me?"

“Sure.”

“Sing us a song you're the piano man! Sing us a song tonight!” 

“Bittle!”

Jack took Bitty in his arms and ruffled his hair as their laughter echoed down the street.

**Author's Note:**

> All OMGCP characters belong to Ngozi Ukazu. <3
> 
> Come and say [hi on Tumblr](https://wrathofthestag.tumblr.com/post/616321393326473216/youre-the-piano-man). I've got cookies and milk!


End file.
